MUSKEGON, Mich. – The I Am Basketball League has been home to entertaining basketball on the forefront while delivering the gospel message in the background all summer.

Saturday the debut rec league continued to showcase local basketball on All-Star Event night with a 3-point shootout, dunk contest and all-star game.

The event also highlighted the gospel message, thanks in large part to special guest speaker Chris Broussard, an NBA analyst for ESPN, as well as live entertainment.

Broussard first talked a little NBA with the approximately 100 gathered in the gym at Three Oaks Public School Academy before he shared his testimony and words of advice.

“I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ can change lives for the better,” Broussard said. “I know that because He did that for me, and He helped me overcome some of my problems and insecurities. My message is that when we turn our lives over to Jesus Christ, he can help us overcome those struggles and help us become a better person, and give us a joy and peace.”

I Am Basketball League director Joe Kelm was hoping to provide something special to highlight the debut season of the league, and he got it in Broussard, who regularly visits different communities open to him due to his renown as a national broadcaster.

Broussard and Rev. Joe Lane of New Life Christian Center in Muskegon went to Oberlin College in Ohio together, and have stayed in contact ever since.

They had been talking for several years about getting Broussard to Muskegon to deliver his message, and it worked out perfectly to come to the All-Star Event.

“When I told Joe about Chris he was excited about bringing him in here,” Lane said. “It really worked out great. God really provided an open door.

“Obviously I loved what Chris had to stay. He was like a mentor to me in college and we’re dear friends and kindred spirits.”

Broussard talked to close to 20 people in a meet and greet session before the other festivities began. Questions ranged from transitioning into television with ESPN from majoring in English at Oberlin, to the state of the NBA, to how today’s players stack up with players of the 1980’s and 1990’s.

The 3-point shooting contest came next and was won by Phil Wheeler.

Lane then introduced Broussard, who opened up by answering a few questions. Among his answers were LeBron James is the best player today, Isiah Thomas is the best “small” player ever , and his all-time NBA team is Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

He then took the audience on a journey through his early professional career and how he went from the Cleveland Plain Dealer to the Akron Beacon Journal to the ESPN First Take, which started out as Cold Pizza, through taking a chance and humbling himself.

Broussard then told the crowd as good as things got for him professionally, it wasn’t as good as when he accepted Jesus Christ as his savior 21 years ago.

“The nice thing about having a national platform, especially in sports, is men and boys want to know what you have to say, and they’ll listen to you,” Broussard said. “The fact that I have this platform, I want to use to hopefully encourage them and change their lives for the better.”

The slam dunk contest and all-star game followed.

The I Am Basketball League will wrap up next week with its final regular season week Tuesday and the playoffs Friday and Saturday.